Game apparatus



E. FISH GAME APPARATUS Jan. 26, 1932.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1951 INVENTOR E 0 14 0/ 0 H's/7 ATTORNEY E. FISH GAME APPARATUS Jan. 26, 1932.

Filed March 2, 1951 5 SheetsShe et 2 award 5'66 ZN; EM

INVENT E ATTORNEY Jan. 26, 1932.

E. FISH 1,842,863 GAME APPARATUS Filed March 2, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ln 3; P g} {Q r &

"lllllll INVENTOR fan 0rd F2577 BY I ATTORNEY E. FISH GAME APPARATUS Jan. 26, 1932.

Filed March 2. 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4' INVENTOR Edward F25 ATTORNEY Jan. 2.6, 1932.

E. FISH GAME APPARATUS Filed March 2, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,mmumnummu E 1 r munmum g9 -INVENTOR Edi/0P0 E's/2 BY ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD FISH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO STAR MACHINE MANUFACTURERS, INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK GAME APPARATUS Application filed March 2, 1931. Serial No. 519,522.

A This invention relates to recreation and amusement game apparatus, and more particulary is directed to a game apparatus in which a ball or missile is aimed and project ed against a target scoring mechanism and to novel parts forming such apparatus and accessories therefor.

Among the objects-of the invention is the provision of an improved game apparatus construction of the character described comprising few and simple parts and the accessories therefor which shall be readily assembled to co-operate for affording attractive amusement and recreation means, which shall be easy to manipulate yet require skill attainable by constant practice in playing therewith, and which shall be relatively cheap to manufacture, and practical and efficient to a high degree for the purposes specified.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention:'

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of one embodiment of the invention constructed to form a coincontrolled ball projecting game apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the improved game apparatus showing a part of the casing broken. away to expose the interior construction.

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 33 and 4-4 in Fig. 2, respectively.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to a cut taken on lines 55 in Fig. 1 but showing the plunger in retracted position loaded witha ball.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top elevational view showing a gun in position for receiving a. ball.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the ball retaining mechanism in released position.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken on lines 88 in Fig. 2 showing the coin-controlled mechanism parts.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken on lines 99 in Fig. 8 showing a coin entered into a coin-controlled mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 9 showing the coin being moved toward ejecting position.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View similar to Fig. 10 showing the coin being ejected from the coin-controlled mechanism.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the automatic scoring indicating mechanism taken on lines 1212 in Fig. 4, and

Figs. 13 and 14 are fragmentary cross-sectional views taken on lines 1313 and 1414: in Fig. 12.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 20 denotes a bowling game apparatus of the miniature type constructed to embody the invention. It is to be understood that the features of this invention may be applied toand incorporated in other forms of indoor and outdoor games.

Said game apparatus 20 includes a suitable casing 21 which preferably forms a complete enclosure therefor. A t! ansparent sheet 22 made of glassor other suitable material may be provided as a top side of said casing Wherethrough the playing of the game is observed. Theparts of the game apparatus within the casing 21 are mounted on a base board 23 which lies against the casing bottom side 24. Said parts include an alley 25 having legs 25a which are fastened to the base 23 in any suitable manner as by means of bolts 26. The upper or playing surface 25?) of said alley is disposed at a slight inclination to the horizontal level mid-way between the base board 23 and the glass top side 22, the latter-preferably being also disposed at an inclination to the horizontal plane to increase the effective field of view. Said alley 25 extends from the front end 21a of the easing lengthwise of the game apparatus and terminates at a spaced distance from a suitable target- 27 which is also secured to the base board 23 by bolts 26. The end 28 of the alley 25 nearest the target 27 is inclined sharply upward to provide a ramp or takeoff, so that a ball 29 when rolled along the alley 25 and up the take-off 28 is projected across the gap, between the end of the takeoff 28 and the target 27, in the well understood manner. Said target is located within the casing adjacent the rear end 21?) thereof, in elevated relation with respect to the alley 25 and the take-off 28, and is positioned in the line of flight of a ball pro ected from the latter.

The target 27 may be of any conventional form or as here shown comprises concentrically arranged ring receptacles 30, 31, 32 and 33 inclined to the horizontal plane toward the alley 25, said receptacles each having an opening 30a, 31a, 32a and 33a, respectively, in the lowest level bottom portions thereof. Said openings are sufficiently large to permit the free passage of the balls 29, so that a ball entering any one of said receptacles will roll down and pass through the respective opening in the well understood manner. After passing through the target 27, the balls are guided through a suitable scoring counter or register 43 and cause the latter to be actuated before being returned to the front end 250 of the alley 25 in the manner hereinafter described. To make the game more interesting and facilitate scoring, walls 30b, 31b, 32b and 33b, of the receptacles 30, 31, 32 and 33, respectively, are made non-uniform in height, and as shown in Fig. 12, are successively higher to prevent a ball landin on the target 27 from rolling off, and to guide a ball to enter the receptacle closest to where the target is hit. This provision of non-uniform heights of receptacle walls also permit the target to be made smaller in size than would be possible otherwise.

In playing with the game apparatus 20 the balls 29 returning to the front end 250 of the alley, pass along a side runway 34 toa suitable ball or missile projecting means, as for example, a gun'35 shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Said gun is actuated to project a ball 29 along the alley 25 towards the target 27, and may comprise a barrel 36 which pivots in a swivel mounting 37 for swingrin said barrel in alignment with the incline playing surface 256 of the alley. The hand operating end of said gun barrel 36 extends through the front side 21a of the casing and has reclprocatingly mounted therein a piston or plunger 38 and a compression spring 39 positioned between the inner end 380. of the plunger and the end wall 36a of the barrel. Said spring 39' normally retains the plunger 38 in its outwardly projected position with respect to the barrel. A retracting rod 40 projects from the plunger 38 through the barrel wall 36a and terminates in a suitable handle or knob 41 for manually operating the movement of said plunger 38., The front or muzzle end 366 of the barrel 36 is formed with a pocket 42 for receiving a ball 29 when the plunger is in retracted position, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. It is apparent from the drawing and the above description that the gun 35 is self-loading, that is, a ball 29 will roll from the runway 34 into the muzzle-pocket 42 when the barrel 36 is swung so that said pocket 42 aligns with the runway 34 and the plunger 38 is in retracted position. With the gun 35 in other than loading position, the balls 29 in the runway 34 merely ride against the curved surface of the barrel muzzle end 366, and are ready for loading consecutively one at a time.

After loading the gun with a ball 29 it is aimed at the target 27 and the ball 29 is projected so as to roll along the alley surface 256 up the ramp take-off 28 and shot across the gap between the latter and the target 27 landing in one of the ring receptacles 30, 31, 32 or 33. The center receptacle 30 serves to score a bulls-eye while the other receptacles 31, 32 and 33 are counted at pro gressively diminishing scores, respectively. Thus, if a count for entering a ball 29 in the receptacle 30 is scored as forty, the count for entering a ball into receptacles 31, 32 and 33 may be scored as thirty, twenty and ten, respectively. The non-uniformity of the heights of spaced walls 30?), 31b, 32b and 33b separating the receptacles aids entering the ball in the receptacle nearest where it hits the target.

The ball 29 in passing from either of the' receptacles 30, 31, 32 or 33, rolls through one of the openings 30a, 31a, 32a or 33a, respectively, into passages 30c, 31c, 320 or 330, respectively, and is guided to the scoring register 43 which automatically indicatesthe count as evaluated above. Said register 43 as here shown, comprises a wheel 44 revolvably mounted to turn with a horizontally disposed main shaft 45. Said wheel 44 has formed on the eriphery thereof consecutively disposed pocl ets 46 uniformly spaced to correspond in width to the passages 300, 31c, 32c and 330, the wheel 44 being positioned to align said pockets with said passages as is clearly shown inFig. 12. A ball 29 entering one of said target receptacles,'passes through a passage 300, 310,- 320 or 330 and drops into an underlying pocket 46 of the wheel 45.

The wheel .44 may be urged to turn forwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow (see Fig. 12) by any suitable means, such as a coil spring 47 having one end anchored to the shaft 45 by a screw 48, and the other end thereof being secured as at 50 shown in Fig. 3 to a fixed upright member 49 supporting the target structure. .To retain said wheel 44 against movement by the spring 47, a suitable detent is provided in the form of a latch 51 which engages with uniformly spaced teeth 52 projecting from the periphery of the wheel 44 adjacent to the inner or bottom side of the walls 46a of the pockets 46. Said latch 51 is dependently carried to swing with a movable wallgate 53 beyond the lower end 53a thereof, the upper end of said gate 53 being hinged, as at 54, to the underside of the target 27. Said wall-gate 53 hangs so as to form a closure for the open sides of only those pockets 46 which align with the passages 30c, 31c, 32c and 330 to retain a ball 29 from leaving said pockets until the wheel 44 has turned a distance suflicient to entirely clear the wall-gate 53. The ball 29 will have then reached a suitable ejector means 55 where it is forced out of the pocket 46 as shown in the dotted line position in Fig. 12. The ball 29 after leaving the wheel 45 rolls onto the surface 56 under the gap between the end of the take-off 2S and the target 27. surface is sloped toward and communicates with the side runway 34 for guiding the ball 29 thereto.

The score attained in playing is counted, registered and totalized by the turning movement of the wheel 44, this operation of said counter 43 taking place as follows: A ball 29 entering one of the wheel pockets 46 after leaving passages 30c, 31c, 32c and 330 swings the hinged wall-gate 53 from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 14. The latch 51 is thereby disengaged from the tooth 52 releasing the wheel 44 and permitting it to turn in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 12 until the ball 29 is forced from the wheel pocket 46 by the ejector 55. Thus a ball 29 striking the target and entering receptacle 30 passes through the opening 30a down the passage 300 and into the pocket 46 in alignment with the latter. The ball 29 in the pocket swings the detent wall-gate 53, re-

leasing the wheel 44 and allowing it to turn by the action of said spring 47 and the weight of the ball 29 an angular distance correspond ing to four pockets 46. The ball 29 after passing beyond the hinged wall-gate 53 is ejected and permits the latter to swing and carry back the latch 51 to re-engagement with a tooth 52 for retaining the wheel 44 against further movement. In order to insure proper working of said detent wall-gate whereby positive re-engagement of the latch 51 with the teeth 52 is effected, there may be provided a tension spring 61 which has one end anchored on an upright 62 supporting the target structure, and spaced from the upright 49, the other end of said spring 61 being attached at 63 to the wall-gate 53. Similarly, a ball 29 entering target receptacles 31, 32 or 33 will permit the wheel 44 to turn distances corresponding to three, two and one pocket, respectively.

A peripheral flange 57, extending from the closed side of the wheel pockets 46 opposite the wall-gate 53, carries a card 58 having imprinted thereon a series of suitable mark- Said I as shown in Figs. 4 and 12. In a like manner,

ball 29 entering receptacles 31, 32 or 33 will cause the wheel 44 to' turn or advance and increase the registered count as shown at the window 60 by thirty, twenty or ten points,

respectively, the counter 43 totalizing the score made as each ball 29 passes therethrough. The balls 29 after they pass down the side runway 34, may be again loaded, consecutively, one at a time, into the gun 35, aimed and projected at thetarget 27, the counter 43 automatically registering and totalizing the score attained.

Suitable means are provided for turning or setting the wheel 44 to its initial .or no-scoring indicating position after it has been turned. This return movement means may be associated with a coin-controlled locking mechanism which, as seen from Figs. 1, 2 and 7, operates a barrier formed of a bar 65 hinged at one end to suitable fixed pivot 66 and terminated at the other end by an elongated stop 67. Said stop 67 projects up through a slot 34a provided in the runway 34 and normally forms a removable obstruction in the path movement of the balls 29. Said bar 65 also has a fence member 68 extending upward- 1y from a' mid-portion thereof and laterally across the runway 34 at a spaced distance back of the stop 67. The bar 65 is normally retained in its elevated or upwardly swung position through suitable means, such as the tension spring 69, which has one end anchored on a fixed lug 70, the other end thereof being attached at the free terminal 71a of an upwardly extending arm 71 thereof. Thestop 67 when the bar 65 is in raised position, obstructs the passage of the balls 29 in runway 34, the fence member then being elevated to permit the balls to pass therethrough. To prevent ball 29 retained by the barrier stop 67 from being jumped over the latter, accidentally or intentionally, a roof portion 341) may be provided over part of the runway34 between the barrier stop 67 and the fence member 68.

A eoin-controlled wheel resetting and locking mechanisms which then actuated in the manner hereinafter more fully described, releases the balls 29 retained by the barrier stop 67 only when a coin C is inserted in a slot 72a of a chute 72 at the top side of the casing 21 as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

To manually manipulate said mechanisms, a crank handle 73 extending outside the easing 21 is provided. Said handle has a sleeve portion 7 3a which extends in through the wall of the casing 21 and is rotatably mounted on one end 45a of the shaft 45. Preferably,

said shaft portion 45a may be provided with a groove 45b of semi-circular cross-section aligning with a similar companionate groove 736 provided in the sleeve portion 730. to form a raceway in which bearing balls 74 ride. A thread hole, closed by a screw 75 provided in said sleeve portion 73a, gives access to raceway wherethrough the bearing balls 74 may be inserted or removed. This mounting of the handle 73 on the shaft end 45a by means of the bearing balls 74 in said raceway serves as an antifriction side thrust bearing, permits only free rotary movement, and prevents and eliminates possible lateral or side movement of the handle 73 with respect to the shaft end 45a so that the coin and counter control mechanism parts cannot be jammed or otherwise interlocked, accidentally or intentionally.

A disc 76 terminates the end of the sleeve portions 73a opposite the handle 73. The

' outer surface 76a ofsaid disc has a projecting flange 77 extending partially around the perimeter thereof, said flange having incurved guide ends 77a which are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the coin C. l

Secured by suitable means, such as a key pin 78, to turn with the shaft 45 at a distance from the surface 7 6a of the disc 76 sli htly greater than the thickness of the coin is a plate disc 7 9. The latter has a hub platform or shelf 79a projecting toward but not contacting'the disc 76. Said shelf 79a extends below and in alignment with the chute 72 so that a coin C after beinginserted in the slot 7 2a passes down the chute 72 between the discs 76 and 79 and seats itself on the shelf 79a in position between the flange guide ends 77a as shown in Fig. 9. These latter terminate in spaced alignment a distance equivalent to slightly more than the diameter of the coin C inwardly from the perimeter of the disc 76 preferably closer to the shelf 79a than said perimeter, said ends 77a being adapted to contact with the opposite sides of the coin C to serve as pushers as is shown in'Fig. 10.

Extending radially from the shelf 790. on

the disc 79, there is provided a projecting dog 80, the latter serving as an abutment stop for the coin C and terminating just short of the flange ends 77a so as not to interfere with the relative rotation of the disc 79 with respect to the disc 76 when no coin C is lodged therebetween. The discs 76 and 78 are of substantially the same size and are fitted to rotate in a housing 81 extending from the upright suport 49. As seen from Figs. 9 and 10, a coin C when seated on the shelf 79a, between the flange guide ends 77a forms a displaceable drive coupling interconnecting the discs 76 and 79.

The coin-controlled wheel resetting and locking mechanisms operates in the following manner. Starting with the coin C in the position shown in Fig. 9, when the handle 73 is turned clockwise, the disc 76 rotating with the handle on the shaft end 45a causes the flange end 77a (to the left of the coin C) to contact therewith and acting as a pusher, rolls the coin C along the shelf 79 toward the dog 80. Further rotation of the handle 73 rotates the dog 80 together with the disc 76, shaft 45 and wheel 44 until a stop collar 82 which is pinned to the end of the shaft 456 opposite the handle 73, contacts with the fixed abutment 83 projecting from the upright as shown in Fig. 3. Further rotation of the shaft 45 is prevented thereby and on continuing the rotation of the handle 73, the flange end 7 7 a will cause the coin C to be raised and ejected into passage opening 81a in the housing 81 as is clearly shown in Fig. 11.. The housing 81 retains the coin C from being displaced from its lodged coupling position between the discs 76 and 79 although the tendency of the flange end 77a is to push it radially outwardly. It is only when the coin C reaches the passage opening 81a that it can dislodge itself.

The coin C on being ejected through said passage opening 81a depresses a stub shaft 84 which is fixedly carried to projectinwardly from the end terminal 71a of the barrier arm71. Said stub shaft extends laterally across the passage opening 81a so that said shaft must be pushed downwardly for rocking the barrier arm 71 on passing of the coin thereover, the flange 77 and ends 77a being shaped to serve as a cam for positively forcing the coin C through said opening 81a. This movement of the stub shaft 84 lowers the bar 65 against the action of the tension spring 69, the stop end 67 of said bar being consequently depressed below the level of the runway 34 permitting the passage of balls 29 which are retained thereby. It should be noted that the stop 67 is made relatively long so that the balls passing thereover help in holding the bar 65 in depressed position for some time after the coin C has been ejected and passed over the stub shaft 84. The spring 69 is adjusted to permit lag in the return movement of the barrier bar 65.

Simultaneously, with the lowering of the stop 67 with the bar 65, the fence member 68 is lowered and forms an obstruction permitting only the passage of the balls into the runway 34 retained between said member 68 and stop 67. After the coin C has passed over the stub shaft 84. the balls 29 retained thereby roll toward the gun 35. The spring 69 then acts to lift the barrier bar 65 and the balls retained by the fence member 68 are released and roll down the runway 34 to abut with the stop 67 which again obstructs further passage down the runway. The balls released to roll down to the gun 35 may be projected towards the target 27 in the manner already described above.

The discs 76 and 79 when coupled together b the coin C, are effective to turn the shaft 4 which carries the wheel 44 when the handle 7 3 is rotated, the wheel 44 being so fixed to the shaft 45 that when the stop collar 82 is turned against the abutment 83 for ejecting the coin C said wheel is reset to its initial or zero position. Simultaneously, the spring 47 is wound up to provide power for urging the wheel 44 to turn on being released from the latch 51 as described above, the complete cycle of the operation of the game apparatus parts taking place as follows. With said parts assembled as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, a coin C on being dropped into a slot 72a and the handle 73 turned, lodges itself to effectuate a coupling of the handle 73 with the shaft 45. On continuing the rotation of the handle 73 until the coin C is ejected at the passage opening 81a, releases the balls 29 retained by the barrier stop 67 The turning of said handle to eject the coin C 1 sets the wheel 44 toits initial position and winds up the spring 47 for supplying power to turn the shaft 45, the wheel 44 being retained against turning movement urged by said spring 47 by the engaging of the detent latch 51 with the teeth 52.

The gun 35 can now be operated to project the balls 29 consecutively, one at a time, towards the target 27. The balls in passing through the scoring mechanism registers and totalizes the score at the window 60, each ball releasing the latch 51 and permitting the wheel 44 to be turned by the spring 47 an amount corresponding to the points scored in passing through the target 27. Thus, if this game apparatus is designed to release five balls, the highest score per ball as explained above, being 40, the maximum score possible would total 200.

After the coin C has been ejected and dislodged from its coupling position. the handle 73 is free to turn on the shaft end 45a and is ineffective to change the score or release the balls 29. On inserting another coin, the handle 73 will again be coupled to the shaft 45 and the'wheel 44, which on turning will again simultaneously reset the wheel 44 to its initial position and release the balls 29 at the stop 67. The coins which pass through the opening passage 81a are accumulated in a suitable coin box.

Although in game apparatus 20 there is provided a card 58 carried on the flange 57 1 with numerals 59. it is to be understood that construction the window 60 would be shifted to align with said numerals.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a game apparatus in which several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a game apparatus using a ball projected at a target, a scoring counter for the target comprising a wheel revolvably mounted about an axis, said wheel having a pocket spaced from said axis adapted to receive the ball, and means actuated by the ball in the pocket for permitting the turning of the wheel a predetermined distance.

2. In a game apparatus using a ball projected at a target, a scoring counter for the target comprising a wheel revolvably mounted about an axis, said wheel having a pocket spaced from said axis adapted to receive the ball, means actuated by the ball in the pocket for permitting the turning of the wheel a predetermined distance, and means for indicating the turning movement of said wheel.

3. In a game apparatus using a ball projected at a target, a scoring counter for the target comprising a wheel revolvably mounted about an axis, said wheel having a pocket spaced from said axis adapted to receive the ball, means actuated by the ball in the pocket for permitting the turningof the wheel a predetermined distance from initial position, and means for returning said wheel to said position.

4. In a game apparatus of the character described, a target scoring counter including a revolvably mounted wheel having a peripheral pocket adapted to receive a ball, means for urging the wheel to turn in one direction, a detent for retaining the wheel against the action of said turning means, and means actuated by a ball in said pocket for releasing said detent to permit said wheel to turn.

' 5. In a game apparatus of the character described, a target scoring counter including a revolvably mounted wheel having peripheral pockets adapted to receive a ball, means for urging the wheel to turn in one direction. a detent for retaining the wheel against the action of said turning means, means actuated by a ball in one of said pockets for releasing said detent to permit said wheel to turn, and numerals carried on said wheel in spaced relation to correspond to said pockets.

6. A game scoring counter of the character described comprising a revolvably mounted counter, said counter and mechanism being wheel having a pocket adapted to receive a coupled for concomitant movement by the ball, latch means forming a wall of said pockcoin, reserved power being generated 1n said et to normally retain said wheel against turnpower means by the movement of sa1d mechaing movement, said latch means being re msm parts. leased by a ball in the pocket for permitting In testlmony whereof, I affix my s1 the wheel to turn. EDWARD 7. A scoring counter for the target comprising a revolvably mounted wheel having consecutive pocket compartments adapted to receive a ball passing from the target, a latch member for locking the wheel against turning movement, said member serving to retain the ball in the pocket and to release said wheel for turning a predetermined distance.

8. A scoring counter for a target comprising a revolvably mounted wheel having consecutive pocket compartments adapted to receive a ball passing from the target, a latch member for locking the wheel against turning movement, said member serving to retain the ball in the pocket and to release said wheel for turning a predetermined distance, and a consecutive series of numerals correspondin to the number of said pockets carried by said wheel.

9. A scoring counter for a target comprising a revolvably mounted wheel having consecutive pocket compartments adapted to receive a ball passing from thetarget, a latch member serving to retain the ball in the pocket and to release said wheel for turning a predetermined distance from an initialposition, a consecutive series of numerals corresponding to the number of said pockets carried by said wheel, and means for returning the wheel to said initial position.

10. In a game apparatus using a ball projected at a target, a registering score counter, power means controlled by a projected ball passing through the target for actuating said ature. ISH.

- counter from an initial position, and manually operated means forsimultaneously restorin the power used in actuating said counter an resetting the latter to said initial position.

11. A game apparatus comprising a target adapted to receive a projected ball, a registenng score counter, power means controlled .by a projected ball passing through said target for actuating said counter, means for retaining the ballspassing from the counter, mechanism adapted to cooperate with a coin for said apparatus, and manual means for operating said mechanism to restore the pow er used in actuating said counter to reset the counter to an initial positionand to release said ball retaining means.

12. A game apparatus comprising a target adapted toreceive a projected ball, a manually actuated mechanism adapted to coact with a com, a registering score counter associated with parts of said mechanism and power means controlled by a projected ball passing through said target for actuating said 

